2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog Major in History, General History Accelerated Sequence Degree offered: B.A. or B.S.

Major Requirements

Minimum required credit hours: 37

Take 18 credit hours of HIS electives*

A minimum of 15 credit hours of electives at the 200-, 300-, or 400-level.
Of the 15 senior credit hours, 6 credit hours must be at the 300- or 400-level.
Of the total 18 credit hours, 6 credit hours must be non-Western History electives (see below).
Of the 6 credit hours of non-Western History electives, 3 credit hours must be at the 200-, 300-, or 400-level.
All History majors must choose one of the following courses as an elective: HIS 104axx (HIS 104axx is preferred; may also count as a non-Western elective), HIS 111, HIS 112, or HIS 131.

Of the 18 credit hours of electives required above, take two (6 credit hours) non-western History electives from the following

Notes

  • For History (B.A.) – Students are encouraged to complete a minor, but, if a minor is not selected, they must complete a 9-hour concentration in any field other than History or a Foreign Language, with at least three credit hours at the senior college level.
  • For History (B.S.) – Major requirements are the same as for the B.A. except students must complete a minor.
  • * It is encouraged for students to take courses approved for graduate credit. For 300-level and 400-level courses approved for graduate credit see courses listed with (GRAD) at the History Course Directory.
  • This sequence allows students to take up to 12 hours of approved graduate courses that will count for both the undergraduate and graduate program in History. In addition to the HIS 497 required course, students may choose to take up to 9 hours of graduate level electives to count towards the 9 credit hours of additional senior college level History electives required for the undergraduate program. It is strongly recommended that one of these courses be HIS 496, another required course for the MA/MS degree. Refer to the Course Finder website for 400-level graduate courses and 300-level courses that are approved for graduate credit. The student must consult with an advisor and the instructor prior to the start of each new course to ensure graduate-level approval. For information on graduate-level history requirements, please visit the graduate academic catalog.

Course Finder >

Graduation Requirements

These are general requirements for all students. Students may apply for and receive two bachelor's degrees at the same time. Refer to the Academic Policies and Practices section of the catalog for details.

  • 120 minimum total credit hours
  • A minimum of 40 of the 120 total hours must be senior college hours (200-300 level courses)
  • AMALI requirement (certain courses in General Education and/or major may fulfill the AMALI requirement)
  • IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access in U.S. Society) requirement (certain courses in General Education and/or major may fulfill the IDEAS requirement)
  • Students completing a Bachelor of Science degree must complete a B.S. - Science, Math, & Technology degree requirement (beyond the General Education requirements) 
  • Students completing a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete a B.A. - world language degree requirement: LAN/FRE/GER/SPA/ITA/JPN/POR 115 (or equivalent) 
  • Some majors complete other types of degrees that do not include additional graduation requirements. For example, the Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. in Ed.) or the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.). 

Specific Program Requirements

General Education Requirements

There are three ways to complete general education requirements for Illinois State University. These three general education programs have different requirements and affect only certain types of students.

  1. The first way is to complete Illinois State University's General Education Program (see below for details).
  2. The second way is to complete the Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum available through the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) (see below for details).
  3. The third way is to complete a baccalaureate-oriented Associates Degree (A.A. or A.S.) from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution. For those transferring from an Illinois college or university, the A.S. degree must include the complete IAI General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) or the student must complete the GECC to fulfill Illinois State’s General Education requirement.

Illinois State University's General Education Program

The complete General Education Program consists of 13 courses (39 semester hours). Because of laboratory or recitation requirements, some courses are listed as four or five credit hours in this catalog. All four or five hours will be credited toward graduation requirements, but only three hours will be credited in General Education for these courses. Depending on their major, students may be exempted from one General Education category (maximum of one course) because of disciplinary expertise gained in their major.

Program requirements that also fulfill General Education Program Requirements

  • Exempt from United States Tradition Category due to disciplinary expertise gained in the major
  • HIS 101  - Humanities

Illinois Articulation Initiative for Transfer Students

To be eligible for IAI, at least one transfer course must have been articulated to an IAI core requirement. Refer to the Undergraduate Catalog for a complete list of IAI courses and policies. The Illinois Transferable General Education Core curriculum consists of 12 to 13 courses (37 to 41 hours of credit) within a five-category designation.

Program requirements that also fulfill IAI Program Requirements